Dynamo-electric clutch.



W. MORRISON. DYNAMO ELECTRIC CLUTCH.

APPLICATIQN FILED DEC.2,1914.

1 26,0, O 1 O Patented Mal'. 19, 1918.

WILLIAM MORRISON, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application led September 18, 1913, Serial N o. 790,538. Divided and this application filed December 2, 1914. Serial No. 875,161.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MORRISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dynamo Electric Clutches, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to a combined electromagnetic and friction clutch for automobiles. The electromagnetic clutch is preferably of the current self-generating type,- having one rotor connected to the engine shaft and the other to the power shaft, and is fully described in my Patents No. 1,126,060, dated January 26, 1915, Reissue No. 14,270, and No. 1,126,061, dated Jan uary 26, 1915, Reissue No. 14,271, of which patents this application is a division. The friction clutch portion of the invention is of the centrifugal type, the two forms of clutches being so constructed and arranged that the engine power is transmitted from the engine shaft to the driven shaft through the electromagnetic clutch, and the centrifugal clutch assists in transmitting the power, or itself serves as a completely effective clutch between the two rotatable members at or above a predetermined speed.

The invention will be fully understood from the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a schematic representation of my invention as applied to an automobile;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the clutching mechanism;

Fig. 3 is anelevation of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, 200 1s the gas engine for driving the automobile, the engine shaft A having secured thereto the drum or casing C. To this drum is secured one rotor member of the dynamdelectric clutch, either the field magnet D (Fig. 2) or the armature. The driven or power shaft B carries the other rotor member of the dynamo, either the armature F (Fig. 2) or the field magnet. The armature in the form shown in Fig. 2 has a commutator ring L, to which the electrical connections are made in the usual way. Bearing against this commutator ring are brushes R', against which press springs S. The connections between the field coils and brushes are not illustrated, as they are fully shown in my prior applications aforesaid. When an external circuit, such as` a storage-battery is used, the dynamo is, preferably, arranged as a shunt-wound machine.

The shaft B has secured thereto a ring 30, to which is pivoted a number of arms 31, carrying at their outer ends adjustable weights 32. Springs 33, which may be adjustable, between the heels of the arms 31 and the ring 30, may normally prevent engagement of the weights 32 with the casing, or the arms may be of spring metal and arranged to normally hold the weights 32 away from the casing, while permitting them to engage upon the development of sufficient centrifugal force. My device is applied to an automobile equipped iu the usual way, power bein delivered to the driving aXle through a suitable transmission-gear 80, the gears being shifted by the lever 203. The speed of the engine is varied or controlled by the throttle 201.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows Y Assuming the engine to be in operation, the power of the engine will be transmitted through the electromagnetic clutch to the power shaft B, and the latter will be rotated at a speed differing from that of the engine shaft by the amount of slip between the two rotors of this clutch. As soon as the power shaft B attains a speed of rotation corresponding to any desired speed of the automobile, the centrifugal weights will be thrown outwardly and will bear against the inner surface of the casing, thereby provid- Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

ing a sliding, frictional engagement or clutch between the engine-shaft and power shaft. A

The adjustment of the clutching power is effected by proper proportioning of the weights, by varying their positions on the arms, by varying the springs or their tension, or by varying all these factors.

In practice, I prefer to adjust the centrifugal clutch so that up to a given or predetermined speed of travel, the main clutching action shall be that due to the electromagnetic clutch. When the predetermined speed is reached, the centrifugal clutch comes into play and the additional clutching eifect serves to prevent the slip between the rotors (with consequent development of eX- cess current) from increasing to an undesirable degree. As the speed of the automobile increases, the clutching effect of the centrifugal clutch becomesv 'greater and greater, and may, if desired, be made s uilif cient to, in effect, frictionally clutch together the two rotors, so that there may be little if any slip. Thus, with increasing speed of the driven shaft as the mechanical clutching effect becomes greater, the electromagnetic clutching effect tends to become less, because the less the slip, the less the generation of current in the dynamo electric clutch. vWhen the mechanical clutching effect becomes so great that there is no slip and the two shafts are driven at the same speed, the electromagnetic effect due to generation of current is entirely absent.

By my invention therefore there are provided two mutually coperative clutching actions, the electromagnetic clutch efficiently transmitting the power from engine-shaft to lpower shaft at all lower speeds, while at higher and increasing speeds, the centrifugal clutching action gradually becomes more and more effective. At all speeds, therefore, there is provided, in contradistinction to the rigid engagement of mechanically interlocked clutching devices, a yielding clutching effect by means of which jarring strains are avoided.

I claimz- 1. A dynamo-electric clutch having revoluble field and armature elements and current collecting devices, in combination with a centrifugal clutch consisting of afric'tion member and a second centrifugally actuated member arranged for engagement with the friction member, the friction member being connected to rotate with one rotor of the dynamo-electric clutch and the centrifugally actuated member connected to rotate with the other rotor of the dynamo-electric Clutch.

2. The combination with a variable speed engine, a drivin shaft connected thereto, a driven load-sha t, and a dynamo-electric clutch having revoluble field and armature elements and current collecting devices, one rotor being connected to the driving shaft and one to the driven shaft,-of a centrifugal clutch consisting of a friction member and a second centrifugally actuated member arranged for engagement with the-friction member, the friction member being connected to rotate. with one of said shafts and the eentrifu ally actuated member connected to rotate with the other shaft. Y

3. The combination with avariable speed engine, a driving shaft connected thereto, a driven load-shaft, and a dynamo-electric clutch having revoluble fieldy and armature elements and current collecting devices, one rotor being connected to the driving shaft andone to the driven shaft-0f a centrifugal clutch consisting of a friction member connected to rotate with the driving shaft and a second .centrifugally actuated member connefzted to. rotate with 'the driven load- Copies of this patent may :be' obtained'f'r ave cents each, b'y addressing' the Commissioner of liaticvntlsi,v i

shaft and arranged for engagement with the friction member.

4f. In combination, a variable speed prime mover, a driving shaft connected thereto, a driven shaft, an electromagnetic clutch having one element connected to said driving shaft and the other element to said driven shaft, and auxiliary centrifugally operated means for coupling said shafts.

In combination, a variable speed prime mover, a driving shaft connected thereto, a driven shaft, an electromagnetic clutch having one element connected to said driving shaft and the other element to said driven shaft, and auxiliary centrifugally operated frictionally engaging means for coupling said shafts.

6. In combination, a variable speed rime mover, a driving shaft, a driven sha t, an electromagnetic clutching means between said shafts having an automatically decreasing clutching effect as the relative speed of the shafts decreases, and auxiliary mechanical clutching means between said shafts having' an automatically increasing clutching effect as the speed of the driven shaft increases.

7 In combination, a variable speed prime mover, a driving shaft connected thereto, a driven shaft, an electromagnetic clutch between said shafts, and an auxiliary mechanical clutch connecting said shafts, the clutching action of which is dependent upon the speed of the driven shaft.

S. In combination, a variable speed prime mover, a driving shaft connected thereto, a driven shaft, an electromagnetic clutch coupling said shafts, and an auxiliary mechanical clutch coupling said shafts, the clutching action of the auxiliary mechanical clutch automatically increasing with the speed of the driven shaft.

9. In combination, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a dynamo electric clutch coupling said shafts, and an auxiliary mechanical clutch coupling said shafts, the clutching effect of which is dependent upon the speed of the driven shaft.

10. In combination, a driving shaft, a driven shaft. an electromagnetic clutch coupling said shafts and haviiirg an automatically decreasing clutching e ect as the relative speed of the shaft decreases, and an auxiliary clutch coupling said shafts having anv automatically increasing clutching effect as the speed of the driven shaft increases.

In testimon Y whereof I affix my signature in presence o two witnesses.

WILLIAM MORRISON.

Witnesses:

WARD S. PERRY, HENRY 0. Knaunn,

Washington, D. C. 

